Improvement in velocipedes



n.1. BARR.

- Velocipede. 10.94.9927. Patented Sept. 21,1869.

272932. m m 02m TVI/'Ene 6666* N. Pimm mwuuwgnpm. wmmngm. o. a

,am est,

To all whom 'it may concern:

` ROBERT BARR, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA Letters PateatNo. 94,992,

dated `September 21,1869. Y

rMPRovEMENT INVELOCIPEDES.

The `Schedule :referred toy in these Letters Patent andrmakng part of the'same.

IBe it, known that. I, Bonnin: J. BAnn,-of the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphiaand State of` Pennsylvania,l have invented a new and useful Iniprovement in Velocipedes ,W and `I do hereby declare that the following is axfull, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the sarne,'ref` erence being had to the laccompanying drawings, and tothe letters of referencemarked thereon.

Myinvention consists in the peculiar manner of propelling and guiding the vvelocipede, whereby great speed is attained, and perfect control had in=guidi=ng Tojaccomplish this,'1 useendless chains, which run over pulleys `connectedwith the front axle, and which are operated, through the cranks, by means ofthe hands sind feet.

l The mechanism for guiding consists of rods and cranks,operated from the seat, and acting on the rear axle, all of which will be. fully described hereinafter.

Figure l is a planwiew of my invention. Figure 2 is a sideelevation on the line ct-b of lig. 1; Figure 3 is aview, detached, of/the lever and clutch f used in guiding.

Figure 4 is a,V sectional view, detached, of the plates connected at the centre, of the rear axle.

To enable those skilled in theart to make" and use my invention, Iwill proceed to describe its construe. tio'n and operation.

The front axle A consists of a circular shaft,pro vided, at a short distance from its ends,.-with journals f and bearings-B andBCf The said bearings are secured to the 'under side of the front ends ofthe reach It, which is made'triangular in shape, and pivoted, at the vertex, tothe centre of` the rear axle A Vby means of .thebolt E.

' `Said bolt passes through the centre of the circular plate P, which is secured to the under side of the reach B., and, through the `rim M, secured to the up- 4per edge vof the' axle A', so that in guiding thevelocipede, the plate P will turn freely on the rim M.

Secured on the axle A, at the centre, is a chain# wheel, W, on each side of which are placed two `cast or wrought-iron supports, S and S', held together by. means of bolts and nuts, and arranged so thatthe axle Awill turn freely in them. v

The supports S and S are made angnlarinshape, so that their upper and 'lower ends will incline toward the centrejof thef velocipede, and are provided withp adjustable bearings, lthrough which are passed and work the shafts l and 'lk- On .each of the said shafts, and between .the supports SI and S', are secured two-chain-wheels, rWland,`

`W",overwhich are'-4 passed the endless chains and.

These chains also pass'over the chain-wheelW, secured to the axle A, and are tightened `by means of the adjustable bearingsin the supports S and-S.

YThe face of each of the. chain+wheels W, W1 W2,

and W is made'wlthdepressions, to suit the form of the links in the chains.

The ends of the. shafts T and Il are provided `with cranks N, N1, N, and N3. V

The' cranks of the shaft T are. arranged so as to be turned by the hands, and the cranks on the shaft 'Il by the feet of the operator.

Additional stiinessis given to the lower'part of the l supports S and S by means of the brace F, which is attached to them, and the opposite end secured to the under side of theseatJ. Y

Said seat is secured o'n top, and at the centre of the reach It, andhas placed underneath, and working 4in suitable bearings, a shaft, T", provided with cranks GrandGr'.l

These cranks have connected to them `two rods, H ,and H', the opposite ends of which iit'and turn in straps J- and J', secured to the rear axle A'.'

The cranks G andG are operated by means of the side leVer'L, which is within convenient reach of the Y Y seat I, and is provided with a clutch, U, which engages with notches cut in the rack D.

The axles A and A are mounted on wheels O, O1, O2, and O3, ,of ordinaryconstruction.

To propel the velocipede, the operator, occupying the seat I, places the -feet on the cranks N2 and N, l and grasps the handles of the cranks-N\and N, and

pntsthem. in motion .by alternate movement ofthe hands arid feet, thus producing a continuous rotary motion of the chains, which impart motion to the axle A, and overcome all dead-centres'.

" In guiding the velocipede to the right or left, the lever L is thrown up or down, and the rear wheels turned in a corresponding direction; and, when propelled in a direct line, the 4clutch U on the lever L is engaged in the proper notch in the rack D. l l

`Having 'thus described my invention, its construction` and'operation,

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent o i the United States, is'- 1. The arrangement of the revolving axle A, chainwheelW, supports S and AS', shafts 'l and l, chainwheels W1 and W2, cranks N, N1, N2, and N3, endless chains C and C', bearings B and B', and brace F, substantially as'and for' the purpose set forth,

`2. The arrangement ofthe reach R, seat I, plate I), rirn M, bolt E, shaft T2, cranks Gr and G', rods H and H', straps J and J', axle A', lever L, clutch U, and

rack D, as and for the purpose set forth.

Inltestimony whereof', I have hereunto signed -niy name, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses..

ROBERT J. BARR.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. EVANS, IsAAc R. OAKFORD. 

